Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

I struggled a bit with connecting to this book. I enjoyed the politcial/religous drama, but would have prefered the characters to be older: some of the dialogue or actions didn't seem to be realistic for teenagers/young children. But I really liked the ending and will read the sequel!

3 stars

Thrilling and detailed fantasy opener

As we see more diverse influences in fantasy fiction, here's a debut influenced by Nepali folklore and myth, but with a twist all of its very own. From the off, the secret is no secret: Binsa is the earthly avatar of the goddess Rashmatun but she has never been possessed by the goddess. Instead, her power comes from a demon that feeds on blood. As the lies begin to build, and Binsa is forced to manifest more and more of Rashmatun's powers without the goddess behind her, Binsa has to choose what she will do to ensure her own survival: give in to the demon or give in to her enemies.

And yet there's a further twist... This is a brilliant fantasy opener told almost solely from Binsa's point of view, with a cast of demons, gods, other avatars, religious, and Binsa's family, dysfunctional, secretive, ambitious. Influenced by Nepali folklore, this is its own thing, and Leow ensures that the reader knows that this is only influenced by and does not represent Nepali culture. The narrative runs from the fantastic to the destitute, with plenty of gore. Love, too, but not romance, although that may come in future instalments; however, it's no loss in this one, with Binsa's journey before the book begins cleverly illuminated in her character and narrative, showing that her family relationships are the ones we need to focus on, and the secrets beyond the open secret propelling the story into at least the next two parts of this trilogy.

Four and a half stars.

A full review will come as soon as possible, but I really have to praise “The Scarlet Throne”! I didn’t expect to find such a beautiful and intriguing book, perfect for fans of The Poppy War.
If you’re searching for a book written from the villain’s pov, then you should totally give it a try. I only think that I would have preferred a standalone novel, I don’t think there’s much more to say about this story. Perhaps, Binsa’s arc could have started and ended in the same book, making it more efficacious.
Btw, I highly recommend this book to my fellow readers. Please give it a try and let me know your thoughts!

NetGalley ARC Reader Review: 2.5 stars rounded up.

This book was a challenge for me. Usually I can get into a book really easily. I think the setting of the book could have been captured a bit better from the beginning.
I struggled with the visual description of a teenage naked body desiring to continue to look like a child, and that made it difficult for me to connect to the FMC. It left me feeling uncomfortable.

The dark magic system was mediocre. Essentially, not magic of her own, but a host of a demon and using its power.
It takes so long for any minor description of how the magic system works... But apparently she's been the host of this demon for years, with no understanding of the power? That really didn't click or make sense to me.

The redeeming qualities in this book were the relationships between the FMC and her brother, the little girl, who, I won't spoil why she's in the story, and the fact that the FMC realized she did not want to be corrupted by the demon's blood magic like her mother.

This is a slower-paced fantasy but I didn't feel bored at all, even with the more dialogue-heavy parts and information dumping. I really recommend this book if you're searching for one in which the FMC is genuinely a villain and you don't care if there isn't any romance. Though not particularly my style, I really liked this novel.

For me, the most interesting part of this entire book was actually our FMC. She starts off this book being a morally grey character, and the story basically details her descent into becoming a full on villain. So from this it’s easily to decipher that this is a character driven story (over having a super clear and defined plot). This story is also written in the first perspective to highlight the Villainous descent of the main character. So for that reason, I knew that this wasn’t going to be a 5 star read, but I think this was actually done really well. And it makes so much sense for this story to be first perspective when so much of the focus is on

It was surprising to not have any romance as I’m typically come to expect that within my fantasy, especially newer fantasy releases. But it was a pleasant surprise.

The pacing is definitely on the slowest side, which is not typically to my liking, as I do prefer something that is slightly more fast paced as it helps me to get into the story a little bit more. The slower pacing does make sense though as there is a lot of politics within it.

I think the truth is that if I was a reader who liked slower paced political fantasies, this could be one of my favourite books, but because I’m not that kind of fantasy reader, it was never going to be the highest rated book that I’ve ever read. So my review feels very subjective because of that. As a result, I think that for those people who love political fantasy and want something with more diversity Amy Leow’s The Scarlet Throne might be perfect for you, but if you aren’t into it that much it should probably be something to note of when picking up this story.

Title: The Scarlet Throne (The False Goddess #1)
Author: Amy Leow
Pages: 425
Rating: 5/5

Arc Copy (gifted) - review left voluntarily
Paperback publish date - 12th September 2024
Ebook and audiobook - 10th September 2024

What a ride!!!

A fantasy debut by Amy Leow, full of demons, morallygrey female character with cut throat priests.

Honestly, Binsa is a character you love to dislike. Until you realise she's only 16 and think about the pressure and expectations that are put upon her. The writing for this book was superb. The relationship between the characters was so good and you could feel the torn emotions within Binsa. I wanted my very own Ilam demon - especially as he took the shape of a black cat!!! The politics, the emotions, the resolutions and consequences are messy and vengeful. Yet the plot and writing were smooth. Amy Leow took great risks in creating a character like this and it's definitely paid off!

It has a young adult feel to it and I think that this is down to the age of the FMC. However, it was dark and unforgiving which I think caters for everyone! I cannot wait for the second installment!!

You'll love this book if you like
- strong female villain protagonist
- morally grey lead
- talking cats
- no romance
- revenge

Thank you netgalley and orbitbooks for allowing me to review.

Will you read it? If you've read it already, what were your thoughts??

The one word that comes to mind when I think about this book is "bold". The author herself describes her story as "messy". And I think these two are a quite good summary.
The "messy" does not apply to the structure or the story telling though, but more to the politics, the magics and the character growth. For the FMC it's not a straight line from A to B to C, but a ... well ... mess of motives, motivation and wishes that lead her to where she is in the end.
The "bold" applies to the fact of making the main character a villainess (if you wanna call her that), and that her fight is not to become something more, or rescue someone, but to cling to what was given to her by all means. There's also the fact that within the MC there are three 'persons' combined - a human, a demon and an assumed goddess.

All of this makes this a very interesting read and definitely different from many other fantasy stories. I especially love the trope of a demon bound to a human body and soul, and it really doesn't disappoint. But here it is brought to another level for sure.

I also loved the aspect of the living goddess, and that they might have more goals and hidden motivations. All in a very interesting South Asian setting.

I highly recommend this read, for my personal rating I'm landing on 4 stars. The parts that make it so interesting are also the messy parts which made it a bit more difficult to connect with emotionally - so not a personal highlight.

4/5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @LittleBrownBookGroup_UK for the eARC!

#TheScarletThrone #Netgalley #Bookstagram

This book surprised me, I had a lot more compassion for our FMC than I thought I might considering the premise. The FMC is power hungry in a way that isnt greed but fear of failure and the fear of returning to a life she escaped. I was intrigued by this story, it was complex with unexpected twists and I like the way the gods/demons are intertwined with the main characters path.

I look forward to book 2!

This was EPIC. Oh my gosh, the worldbuilding was subtle and crafted so well, gradually slipping itself into the book until you felt truly engaged and compelled by the high stakes.

The FMC is incredible. So full of depth, and I was never once bored reading it.

1st POV / 1 POV / chapters length: medium /TW below/ ⭐️4, 5 stars

This book is for those who hate characters who choose the light.

🐈‍⬛ villain FMC
🐈‍⬛ gods and demons
🐈‍⬛ blood magic and mind reading
🐈‍⬛ plot twists, secrets, manipulation, betrayals

Sovereign who is supposed to be a vessel for a goddess makes pacts with a demon instead? SIGN ME UP. (idk if this is a spoiler but: I was so afraid that the author will throw this villain idea out of the window for some moral redemption but she was DEDICATED and that's what all those 5 stars are for.)

I don't know why it took me so long to finish it but for most of the book I thought it will be 3,5 stars. Part of me wanted to DNF but the other half was just too interested in the whole idea that I wanted to know how it's going to blossom. My rating went up real fast when I realized what sort of character Binsa is gonna be and I am OBSESSED. So 4,5 stars rounded up it is.

I usually don't mind cliff-hangers but this one is killing me. I have a huge hangover and I can't think of anything else. I really hope that Binsa is going to come up with a new name because that would be sick. Not Rashmatun, not the little girl Binsa, but something greater.

I loved Ilam's depth and consistency in character (not just an evil demon but a whole being that can be kind and sensitive...but still a wicked demon). I didn't perceive Ykta as a bad person but I think that's the point. It says a lot about FMC and her lil crazy brain. 😂

I'm a romance girlie but I didn't mind that there was none because it would get in the way of Binsa's ambitions. No romance drama brings more plot drama anyways. 👀

"You were born for greatness, my daughter. To be anything less is to defile the gods."

Trigger warnings: child abuse (physical and emotional, huge part of the story), human sacrifice, blood, poison, murder (graphic), manipulation

longer review on GR: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6705507533

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. The premise of this book sounded super interesting, and while I did mostly enjoy the read overall, there are several aspects that just didn't hit the right note for me personally. Firstly, many of the characters seem lacking in depth. I wanted more exploration of their motivations and reasonings. Overall, it felt at times more like a YA which did not match the events taking place. The second major point was pacing - it is quite slow throughout but then the ending is super fast and so feels very rushed. Thirdly, and most importantly I have concerns about the inclusion of a religion which is currently still actively practised combined with the twist which is revealed in this story. I could easily imagine that it might be considered quite hurtful. Especially considered that as far as I am aware the author has no connection to the culture in question.

Really enjoyed the world building in this book, it was well thought out and executed in my opinion.
I really liked the characters and the writing style.
I would definitely pick up a sequel when it's out. A really great debut from this author!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.
4 stars book from me. Loved the plot and the storytelling inThe Scarlet Throne and the relatable, likable characters,. Loved every single second reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for the ARC

Talk about morally grey character, but I loved her? I'm amazed this is a debut! It was so good. I'm not always captured by political fantasies, but this had me in a chokehold. It was layered and epic. It made my heart beat so fast because I cared so much for the characters. It was gripping, suspenseful and pure awesome. Plus, talking cat!

A lot of things to love about this one, including a cover that would look beautiful on the shelf. But more importantly, what's inside that cover includes strong and fascinating mythology, a morally ambiguous main character, a cat-demon, and a solid setup for a series.

Binsa is the host and living embodiment of the goddess Rashmatun, as she's been for the past ten years, since she was a mere child. However, the head priest thinks it may be time for another host - which would be tough, when Binsa has never had the goddess inside of her and instead has a demon lending her magic (for a price, of course) so that Binsa can pretend to be hosting the goddess. And Binsa wants very, very badly to continue this ruse.

The idea of the gods having living hosts - and more specifically, the idea of gods truly being demons - was a fascinating one. I was definitely curious to find out more about the mythos and history, including the Bloodbath where all nine of the other potential hosts died in a brutal fashion. The plot being Binsa's desperate struggle to hold on to power as she deepens her bond with Ilam, the demon, and is forced to revisit her past with Medha, the young girl selected as the next host of Rashmatun, and Medha's sister Nali, who both want to know what happened when their sister died at the Bloodbath.

Where this book didn't quite land for me was the complexity. Binsa wanted to remain as Rashmatun - okay, sure, I understood that, but I never felt that her motivations were fully fleshed out. As well, given that she already was Rashmatun and also had many opportunities to limit having a successor but just never seemed to have that thought cross her mind until the last quarter of the book made her goal feel kind of aimless. I found the characters equally shallow. I understood their motivations, but I didn't feel that much was done with their actual personalities and they felt like plot devices.

Finally, for a villainous main character with a lot of darkness in her past and present, this book didn't feel particularly dark. I don't need (or particularly want) grimdark, but as it was, a lot of the parts that I think were supposed to be morally ambiguous or signs of Binsa becoming deeper enthralled with Ilam didn't pack the emotional punch that I think they deserved. Because it was in first person POV, we were inside Binsa's head the entire time. And because of that, I never got the feeling she was truly committed to the "anything for the throne" bravado that the story seemed to be implying. Mostly, Binsa felt like a somewhat confused young girl - which is fine! That's what she was! But what I felt the book promised me by the synopsis - a dark and political fantasy with the main character on the brink of losing her humanity - never really delivered.

However, there was a part at the end, with the gems, that I really thought this story might go there. I thought it was going to commit to something that would have made sense for the story and Binsa's character progression, and been a point of no return moment. But the story veered away from that, and while it's set up in an intriguing way for the sequel, I do kind of mourn what I thought this could of been.

This would have been a very good YA story, but as it is, it's simply a pretty good adult book that's worth a high three stars. It does have an intriguing setup for the series to go darker and age with Binsa, so I'm cautiously optimistic for future books.

Thank you to the publisher, Orbit, and to NetGalley for the ARC.

The world and its system was well-thought and well explained.

I loved the idea of the demon inhabiting the main character. It is not something that we usually find in novels so it was nice to have some change.

I like the complexity of Binsa. I did not always agree with her choices and I felt like she is a bit delusional at times but I still liked having a complex main character. I didn’t connect with her but still.

The chapters were a bit long sometimes, but they were some pauses so it balanced overall.

I don’t think I will be reading the second book, but I’m glad to have read The Scarlet Throne. I had a nice reading experience..

Great potential. However, I struggled with this one a bit. I could not connect with the writing style. I liked the premise but a DNF at 25%. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to review. I hope others will enjoy this more than me.